


The Puppetmaster

by TheWriterDuck



Category: Naruto
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-12 21:00:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28516803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWriterDuck/pseuds/TheWriterDuck
Summary: Scorned and hated by villagers of the Leaf, Naruto decides to build his own friends. The Puppetmaster is born.
Kudos: 1





	1. Conception

The worn-down door squeaked as I nudged it open and slithered into my apartment. The barren walls were at their grayest yet, almost like those in a prison cell. The beams of sunlight slithering their way through unnoticeable cracks in my curtains were dimmed, as if coming from a lamp turned down to the lowest setting. The air was stale, and dust irritated my nose.

I dropped into my chair, the only one I had, like a sack of noodles. It squealed and creaked, but remained standing. The dilapidated table before me, with its peeling paint and cracked top, was both my desk and dining place. According to most, even that was too much for someone like me. Hated. Unwanted. Go away. Brat. Troublemaker. Go. Away. Why won’t it just die?

But I couldn’t die. Not of my own volition. No matter how many times I meditated, or how much I focused, I failed at forcing my heart to stop, or my body to develop an incurable disease. In fact, I’d always been healthier than the average person for some reason.

_You can’t even slit your own throat like a man, you pussy._

_Leave me alone._

Hollowness sagged in my chest, and my heart was beating slowly, like a tired draft horse about to collapse. I _wished_ it would stop. I coveted that sweet release, the end of my torment. No more glares and stares. No more looking away when I passed by and snubbing my calls and touches. Ignoring my very existence.

Splash.

Splash.

Splash.

Water droplets dispersed as they hit the sink. I should get up and shut off the tap properly. It was annoying. I should get up. I should _really_ get up.

I sighed. Maybe later. I’d deal with it later.

My gaze rose to a small wooden doll sitting on the table. It was old and crumbling, a simple mannequin intended to help artists.

I picked him up and hugged him. “Oh, Kuro, what would I do without you?”

His face had once been blank, but, to me, it had had its own special expressions. I’d had to imagine them once, to focus hard to see them in my mind. Nowadays, they were right there, on the wood. Blue eyes full of warmth. A toothy grin stretching from ear to ear. Golden hair falling over cheeks free of whisker marks.

Once I put him down, Kuro chuckled and shook his head. “Silly, Naruto. You know you’re my best friend! I’ll always be there for you.” His voice was high-pitched and excited.

A bitter chuckle escaped my lips. “Well, that’s the problem, isn’t it? The Old Man, Teuchi and Ayame… You. Especially you. None of you will let me die.”

“But… you’re my friend… Why would I do something so stupid?”

My breaths were shallow, and my head sunk back. “It’s not enough. Teuchi’s kind gaze… Ayame’s laugh… Those brief moments the Old Man has for me… Your friendship. It’s not enough.” I jumped up and slammed my hands on the table. “It’s not! How can I be sure of my own existence with only four people acknowledging me?”

“It will get better…”

“No, it won’t!”

“You don’t know that!”

“I do know!” I frowned and glared at him. “Wasn’t the Academy supposed to be different? Weren’t _you_ the one that told me so?”

“It will.”

My lips curled. “I’ve been there for two months already. Hoping that the children would accept me. Ones who seek to be ninja, as I do. I’m not asking for much…” A tear slid over my whisker marks. “Just some recognition… some attention. _Any_ attention! As much as they grant a _dog_. But no…”

“Naruto…”

“Not for me. Not for the freak. The troublemaker. The _demon_.”

“Naruto… please…”

“Uzumaki Naruto is less than that, isn’t he? Less than a dog, less than a dog’s _shit_.”

“You just have to try harder…”

_Try harder? Try fucking harder? Did you really tell me that, you little shit?_

I growled and picked him up, warmth spreading through my stomach at the sight of his pained expression.

Yeah, not that fun when it was happening to you, was it? Suffering alone and helpless. And you _did_ do something to warrant this. What did _I_ do? What did I do?!

His face was red, and he moaned and wheezed. “Naruto, you’re hurting me…”

_Yes, and be glad it’s only physical! Be glad I’m not ignoring you. Spiting you. Shunning you. You don’t question whether you’re fucking real!_

“So? Why don’t _you_ try harder?”

_Go on! Try! Fight! Fight back!_

“Please, you’re hurting me…”

_Better yet, wait! Wait for me to understand! Wait for me to relent! Wait for me to come the fuck around!_

My hand clenched tighter. “And they’re hurting _me_! That’s how the cycle goes apparently. Blame your problems on someone who can’t fight back. The nine-tails killed your parents? Naruto’s fault.” My ears were pounding. “You lost your shop to creditors? Naruto’s fault.” My nostrils flared, and my eyes bulged. “Your wife cheated on you? Naruto’s _fucking_ fault!”

“I… don’t…”

My heart pounded, and spit flew from my mouth as I talked. “You want to know the fucking punchline? I was going to try again tomorrow. The day after. The week after. I was going to do whatever it fucking took. I would’ve been happy being the class clown if it got me some reactions. But there’s no point, is there?” I laughed. A bitter, empty, crazed laugh. “Their parents have already poisoned their minds. Already, they think the same thing. Die, Naruto. Just _die_ and leave us alone!”

“Come… around…”

_Again with this shit?_

My jaw clenched, and my gaze hardened. “Will they? Or will they beat me for asking them for a pen? A fucking pen!”

“Sakura… problems… similar…”

“She and I are nothing alike! She’s an insecure little fangirl.” My hands were shaking. “I was polite. My voice was friendly. I asked her for a pen and got hit on the head for it. And everyone else _laughed_ and congratulated her for dealing with the _idiot_!”

The idiot. The dunce. Stupid. Fool. Moron. _Naruto_ couldn’t be smart. _Naruto_ couldn’t be capable of anything. He couldn’t even be friendly, apparently.

It wasn’t enough. It was _never_ enough. Whatever I tried. It would never _be_ enough. Camaraderie. Friendship. No matter how hard I tried, people would always despise me and spit the ground I walked on.

My muscles tightened, and I stood up. “You’re on their side, aren’t you? You want them to belittle me. To scorn me. Don’t you?”

It made perfect sense. They sent him here to infiltrate my head. To give me hope. To make me think I wasn’t alone. Just so he could betray me and crush my spirit.

“No…”

“Yes, you do.” Tears streamed down my face, and I threw him at the wall as hard as I could. “Yes, you fucking do.”

I collapsed onto the floor and started sobbing. Tear after tear ran from my eyes like a river, and my entire body trembled. How pitiful was I? When even my closest friend was against me? The stupid little thing deserved what it…

…

_Oh no…_

I jumped up and rushed to the wall, where I found pieces of wood scattered in all directions.

I picked up every single one and pressed them to my chest. As my heart hammered and my chest tightened, I cried even harder than before.

It was all I could do these days anyway.

“I’m sorry…” My face descended on Kuro’s broken body, and my tears washed over him. “I’m so sorry… I didn’t mean it…”

Even though he had betrayed me, he was still my friend…

Knots filled my belly, and I couldn’t breathe. “I’m sorry, I’ll fix you, you’ll see… I’ll… rebuild…”

I looked up, and my eyes widened. That couldn’t be it, could it? The solution couldn’t be _that_ simple, could it?

Yet, why not. There were records. The Second Great Shinobi War. Honorable Grandmother Chiyo. Sasori of the Red Sand. Sand’s Puppet Corp.

I clenched the broken wood in my hands until it drew blood. Sure, Kuro was just a small wooden doll now… but there was no reason he couldn’t be _more_ …

Fluttery wings flapped inside my chest, and warmth rushed through my body. Yes… Yes. Yes! I _could_ rebuild my friend! Bigger! Better! I would make Kuro a mighty Battle Puppet. The mightiest of them all. Then I would build more. More. More! I would have an army at my fingertips!

Unhinged, crazed laughter echoed through my little dungeon of an apartment.

The villagers and their children could go die in a ditch somewhere for all I cared.

I’d build my own friends.

* * *

The library air was stale and dusty. It smelled of wood polish, ink, and old books. It was _heavy_. Stay quiet, it said, don’t bother anyone. This is my home, it whispered, and my home is for learning.

I padded along the carpet like a cat — a treasure cove of bookshelves full of books, scrolls, and random papers awaiting me to my left — until I stood before a large desk.

A middle aged chūnin, with short brown hair and a stubble, sat behind it. His jaw was narrow, and his chin pointy.

He scowled. “Get lost, brat.”

I tilted my head. “Is it something on my face?”

The man ignored me.

“My voice?”

…

“Clothing?”

…

“My roguish charm?”

…

“My _devilish_ good looks?”

He snorted.

“Had a feeling that might get a reaction out of you. Though…” I smirked. “Wouldn’t _demonish_ be a better comparison?”

He sighed. “Why are you still here?”

“This is the ninja library. I’m here for books. _Obviously_.”

“Well then, there’s your answer. This is a _ninja_ library, so beat it.”

“Yes, and academy students have a pass for both the general section and segments of the genin one.”

He frowned. “Who in their right mind let _you_ enroll there?”

I chuckled darkly. “That would be one Sarutobi Hiruzen, Third Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. A close friend of mine.”

He gulped.

I wasn’t usually a fan of name dropping. Not only did I have no one to use except the Old Man, but it was the principle of the thing that mattered. After all, no Titan rose to might through the power of nepotism. On the other hand, this waste of space was standing between me and reviving Kuro, and that just wouldn’t do.

I grinned and tilted his head. “Well?”

“What?”

“Won’t you give me my books?”

“Yes, of course, what do you need?”

“Puppets. Everything you have on Sand’s Puppeteering.”

* * *

It turned out that ‘Everything you have on Sand’s puppeteering’ included the total of three first-hand accounts of fighting _against_ puppets by surviving jōnin. Nothing on control or construction. Not that I’d expected much — Sand guarded their secrets jealously — but some notes by Leaf ninja, ideas, reverse-engineering… Nothing!

The only thing of note that I managed to discern was that Sand ninja used these… chakra threads… to control their puppets. Which was a problem for me, as _I_ had no idea how to make them. I tried expelling chakra through my fingers, but all I managed was little blue blades that dissipated about an inch away. There _was_ a secret to it, but it wasn’t like Sand was about to share.

I pinched my lips together and patted my nose. There had to be something in these stupid papers that could help me. Anything!

My feet tapped, and I cracked my neck as my eyes roamed over the pages. Searching. Scanning. What could I use?

What…

Could…

I…

Ah… There. It was hidden in the accounts of one Chizu Atsushi, who had fought and killed a chūnin puppeteer at the time. The note said:

_‘I was having trouble hitting him, the man was extremely good at getting his puppets to block my long-range attacks. I didn’t engage close-range due to my lack of skill in taijutsu and the potent poisons with which the sand ninja had coated his puppets. The solution came to me from my limited knowledge of the sealing arts. I was able to apply seals to his puppets which blocked their movement. After that, killing him was easy.’_

I chuckled and grinned. Seals. That could do it.

However, when I asked for a book on seals…

“Sorry, those require chūnin and above level clearance.” The librarian smirked.

“Bullshit!”

“Hey, don’t blame _me_. Rules are rules.”

“You’re enjoying this _way_ too much…”

He chuckled. “I’m in the right this time.”

“But I need to learn about sealing.”

“Then come back when you’re chūnin.”

“Fuck you.”

“Look, kid, unless the Hokage gives you clearance, you can go ahead and bite me.”

I frowned and stormed out. I’d be going to the Old Man with this all tight…

* * *

The hinges squeaked and whined as I slammed the door against the wall. “Old Man, I need your help!”

The Third Hokage put down his pipe and chuckled. “Easy there, my boy. Come in and sit down.”

He was a short old man, with a white hair and goatee, dressed in white and red robes. Wrinkles and liver marks marred his gaunt face, and he was smoking a pipe.

His office reeked of its smoke, but there was also a strong scent of old parchment, sake, and staleness.

I plopped down in front of his desk. The secretary mumbled something as she closed the door behind me, but I ignored her.

My eyes closed as I took a deep breath. A strong scent of tobacco was in the air, rising above the plants and scents of the hidden ANBU. Jasmin and sword polish, earth and tree bark, and old paper and ink. Cat, Tiger, and someone I couldn’t identify. Had Boar retired?

I looked at the Hokage. “Can we speak in private?”

His eyebrows rose, but he made a hand sign. A whoosh of wind later, and we were alone, our privacy guaranteed by the glowing seals on the walls.

“What is so urgent _and_ so secretive, my boy?”

“I need to learn the Sealing Arts.”

“Pray tell, what inspired such a need?”

“I can’t make chakra strings like Sand ninja, so I need seals to move my puppets.”

“Puppets?”

“Haven’t actually built them yet, but that’s second on the list.”

He frowned. “Who has been filling your head with this nonsense?”

What? Him too? First Kuro, and now _him_?

_No, Naruto, wait, he’s just suspicious. He’s a head of a fucking village, moron._

_Fuck you, Kuro, you’re a moron!_

_I know you are, but what am I?_

_I know you are, but what am I?_

_I know you are, but what am I?_

“Naruto!”

I shook my head. “Sorry, what?”

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah, are you?”

He sighed. “Who convinced you that you could reverse engineer puppeteering?”

“Old Man, what are you talking about?”

He massaged his forehead. “Alright, work this out with me, Naruto. Where does puppetry originate from?”

Again with this. Why did he always have to question me like I… was… slow…

_Oh my God, he thinks I’m stupid too…_

My eyes narrowed. “I’m not an idiot, Old Man. What I meant was that no one told me anything. I have no idea how you even came to that conclusion.”

“So, you just woke up one day and decided to be a puppeteer?”

“Of course not, that would be silly.”

“Then what happened?”

“I broke Kuro, so when I decided to fix him, I thought, why not make him a battle puppet? If I can do that, I can make my own friends.”

His eyebrows squished together. “I’m sorry, I’m not following, what’s a Kuro?”

“My best friend!” I scratched the back of my head. “Well, he was, before I smashed him against the wall and broke him in pieces.”

He sat upright. “You _killed_ someone?”

“What? No!”

“Then what did you do?”

“Old Man, Kuro was a toy. An anatomical doll for artists to use.”

He leaned back with his hand over his heart. “Good God, Naruto, don’t scare me like that.”

Wait, weren’t we supposed to kill at some point anyway? They _were_ training us as fucking ninja… Though, maybe it was a ‘don’t mess with Leaf citizens’ thing.

_I wonder what it’s like to kill someone._

I cleared my throat. “So, can I learn sealing?”

“Right… Remind me again why exactly you believe _sealing_ will aid you in your puppetry endeavors?”

_And he thinks **I’m** slow? _

“How else am I supposed to get them to move, Old Man?” I snorted. “I can’t exactly dream up how Sand does it, now can I?”

_Greedy little desert trolls._

He folded his hands. “There’s a reason the sealing arts are restricted for chūnin and above, Naruto. They’re very complex and _dangerous_ , especially for you.”

“Oh? Why’s that?”

_He’s totally afraid of how awesomely powerful I’d become._

_Yeah, or he’s afraid you’ll blow up the village._

_Shut up!_

His features were smooth and expressionless. “Naruto, the sealing arts are the most complex _and_ most obscure branch of ninja techniques. There are only a handful of people in the world that know anything more than the basics about them. Furthermore, they require peace of mind, calmness, seriousness, a steady character. We both know how hotheaded and impulsive you are, don’t we?”

I looked down and pressed my lips together. “So, it comes down to that. You don’t trust me.”

“I _worry_ about you. Constantly.” He shook his head. “A sealing accident would likely end with you dead.”

“So what?”

“ _So what?”_

“So what? It’s not like Leaf makes life worth living.”

His face dropped into his hands, and he sighed. “Just give them time. They’ll come around, I promise.”

“Maybe, or maybe not. It matters little to me. All _I_ care about is building my puppets.” I pursed my lips. “Which brings us to my original point: let me learn the sealing arts.”

“No.”

“What the fuck, Old Man?”

The pressure in the room skyrocketed. The air was as heavy as iron and brimming with maliciousness. Bloodlust. Killing intent.

He growled. “Was that enough, or should I actually try?”

I gulped and wiped the sweat off my forehead. “No, I’m sorry. I’ll be good.”

He shook his head and lit his pipe. “There are special circumstances that make it unwise for you to have any contact with the sealing arts.”

_Seriously? Can’t anyone in this fucking village treat me as an actual fucking person?_

“Naruto, I’ve lived for a long time, and fought three wars. You can trust me when I say I know quite a bit about life and ninja.” He leaned forward. “You can also trust me when I tell you this: forget about puppetry. Forget about sealing. Study hard and become strong. The people _will_ recognize you. I promise.”

I bit down on my cheeks, and my chest tightened. So, it was like that? First Kuro, now the Old Man… What was next? Were the Ichiraku about to betray me too? Did I really have no fucking friends at all?

My fists clenched, and my fingernails bit into my palm. Of course not. Not the brat. The idiot. The unwanted.

_Maybe you should burn Ichiraku down pre-emptively?_

_Fuck you, Kuro! You’re not the boss of me!_

I relaxed my hands and kept my face expressionless. “I will heed your sage advice, Lord Hokage.”

His eyes widened. “Naruto, what…”

I stood up. “Permission to leave? I have no further questions.”

“Please don’t do this…”

I bowed my head and said nothing.

He sighed. “Dismissed.”

* * *

Wind ruffled my hair, and chill bit at my cheeks as I sat atop the Fourth’s head on the Hokage Monument. The evening was uncharacteristically cold for this time of year, and my chest was unusually numb. The entire shithole that was my home village sprawled beneath me, like a green field littered with blocks of cow dung. Although, it wasn’t all that bad. The sky was pretty. A pink and orange sea of clouds and sunlight.

Oh, what I wouldn’t give to be a bird… To be able to live up there. Free.

“It is a beautiful sight, isn’t it?” A gruff voice echoed from behind me. Quiet. Slow. Deliberate.

No real reason to acknowledge his presence, though. None ever did mine. Besides, if he had come with malicious intent, the ANBU would’ve cut him down long ago.

_Of course you need the ANBU to protect you. Helpless, weak little boy._

_Shut up!_

“The Leaf Village. A mighty tree that feeds and shields those resting in its shade.” An old man with shaggy, black hair sat next to me. His right eye was bandaged, and he was wearing a black robe over a white shirt.

“Though, every tree needs strong roots to survive.” He turned to look at me, his face completely neutral. “Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Do I know you?”

“We’ve never met before. My name is Shimura Danzō.”

“Uzumaki Naruto.”

“It is quite a shame. How the village treats you.” He shook his head. “Stupid as well.”

I chuckled. “Right… And you think differently?”

“Of course.”

_Does he think I’m a fucking idiot?_

_Well, it’s not exactly unwarranted is it?_

“A strange man I’ve never met before comes out of nowhere and claims that he, unlike the rest of this village, actually likes me.” I clenched my fists and spoke through my teeth. “Forgive me if I don’t believe you.”

“Oh, I dislike you strongly. I think you’re an attention-seeking brat that wastes his time goofing off and doing pranks instead of training and being productive.”

“Then why are you…”

“However! I also believe the amount of potential being wasted because nobody will train you is criminal.”

I narrowed my eyes. “This sounds an awful lot like you’re about to offer me something.”

He nodded. “Indeed. I am aware of your troubles at the library. How would you like access to material which would enable you to start learning the sealing arts?”

My brow wrinkled, and I crossed my arms. “Who are you?”

“I already told you, my name is…”

“No. _Who_ are you?”

“Hm… A shrewd question, but one asked too tardily. We will have to work on that.”

My face reddened, and I grit my teeth. “There’s a team of ANBU protecting me at all times. Fuck off, before I sic them on you.”

“They won’t come. Not until I call them.”

“Nice try, jackass. The ANBU work for the Hokage.”

“So do I. I’m the head of a specific branch called Root, which deals with a specific kind of missions.”

He snapped his fingers, and four kunai imbedded themselves in the stone around my legs.

“It just so happens that the team guarding you today consists solely of _my_ soldiers.”

I gulped.

“Now, let me reiterate my question…”

“I’ll pass.”

He frowned. “You don’t even know what I’m offering you.”

“I’m sorry, but accepting suspicious offers from people I don’t know is a no-no for me.” I glared at him. “So, unless you plan to kidnap me, get the fuck away from me.”

“You will have access to all levels of sealing knowledge. From the basics to mastery. I’ll even have someone tutor you at the beginning, until you get the hang of it.”

My nostrils flared. “Dude, are you fucking stupid? I said no!”

“I will also give you notes left behind by the Fourth Hokage himself.”

My heart skipped a beat. I held my breath. No way… No way, he was lying, it wasn’t possible that he had…

He pulled a sheet of paper out of his robe and gave it to me.

My eyes bulged as I read. A hand-written introduction to performing the Flying Thunder God… A hand fucking written account to performing the Flying fucking Thunder God… I had no idea what the technical mumbo jumbo meant, but the introduction, the notes, the first-hand accounts from combat… _Only_ the Fourth could’ve written this.

“How did you…”

“We all have our secrets. Now, what do you say?”

What could I say? On the one hand, these _were_ the first-hand accounts of the greatest seal master ever, but on the other…

_He’s fucking creepy! This whole offer is **so** rapey… _

_He’s offering you power, you fucking moron! Do you **want** to be weak your whole miserable life?_

_No, but I also don’t want PTSD!_

_Oh, suck it up, princess! The worst he’ll do to you is some mind conditioning. We can deal with that after we get the power._

_Which will take **years**. I refuse to be a slave just for a promise of potential power in **years**._

_You pussy!_

_You dick!_

_Will you guys stop fighting?_

_Shut the fuck up, Kuro! / Shut the fuck up, Kuro!_

He coughed into his hands. “Well?”

I shook my head and stood up. “It’s a sweet offer, but I’ll pass.” I turned around and started walking away.

“What if I told you I had a technique that will enable you to get a hundred days’ worth of training in a single day?”

I froze. “Bullshit.”

“It’s a common technique among high-ranking ninja. Most of the jōnin know it.”

“Yeah right.”

“Shadow clone technique!”

I turned around, and there were two of him.

“A clone? That’s an academy level technique, my dude.”

The clone approached and picked up one of the kunai in the stone.

_Wait that shouldn’t be possible, a clone is just…_

“These aren’t mere illusions.” He gestured at his double. “These are _shadow_ clones. They have a physical form and, upon dispelling, transfer all the memories they gained to the original.”

My mouth dropped open, and drool dripped out. “What’s the catch?”

“Hm?”

“What’s the catch? What do you want in return?”

_A million ryo on mental conditioning._

He smirked. “Nothing major. Just that you spend your Sundays at my compound doing… special training.”

_Called it._

_Aw crap… This is so cool… but also a potentially stupid idea…_

_Do it! Do it! Do it!_

He offered his hand to me. “So?”

_Accept it, you stupid monkey! They’ll never learn to fear you if you don’t! They’ll never respect you! They’ll never acknowledge your existence._

_They won’t, will they?_

_No. Besides, you do want to rebuild your stupid pet toy, don’t you?_

_Hey! Don’t talk about him like that!_

_Naruto, please don’t sell your soul for me…_

_Shut up!_

_Don’t you tell him to shut up!_

_Just take the fucking offer before he changes his mind!_

_Fine, shit, stop being a bitch about it…_

I shook his hand. “I accept.


	2. Chapter Two — Test

**Chapter Two — Test**

**Uchiha Sasuke**

“I will tie the one that doesn’t get a bell to this post and make them watch me eat their lunch in front of them. They’re also the one who goes back to the Academy for another year.” Hatake-sensei was leaning against one of the three wooden posts, looking at us impassively, and his voice was drawled out and bored.

I smirked. So, if I got _both_ bells, I could ditch the fangirl _and_ the dead-last? The perfect resolution to this situation.

Wind ran over our hairs like ninja sandals did over grass, ruffling and tousling the leaves of the many trees rising from training ground three. They were wide and ancient, their barks full of knots and groves, and they towered high into the sky, as if they were trying to touch the proud falcon of the Uchiha. Their canopies were pressed together like bushes and shrubs in a hedge, and the undergrowth was as thick as a city wall.

Hatake-sensei put down a timer. “You have two hours…” He frowned. “Yes, Blondie?”

The dead-last put his hand down. “Sensei, may I confirm my mission?”

The jōnin tilted his head, as if contemplating whether the stupidity of the question was worth wasting time on — and it wasn’t — but then shrugged and nodded.

Uzumaki — who was dressed in an all-black imitation of an ANBU uniform — squared his shoulders and raised his chin. “You, Hatake Kakashi — jōnin of the Leaf and our superior, whom we should be able to trust unconditionally — are giving us the mission of retrieving the bells, the promised payment of which is promotion to genin status. Do I have this right?”

I frowned. What was up with the idiot today?

Our instructor raised his eyebrow. “Strangely worded, but that is the gist of it, yes.”

The moron nodded and dropped his gaze. “I understand.”

A shudder passed through me. His voice had vibrated with a strange, raspy pitch, akin to the growl of a prowling panther.

Hatake-sensei narrowed his eyes. “Well, if there are no more interruptions?”

…

“You have two hours. Begin!”

* * *

Twig tips and jagged leaf edges poked my cheeks, and tree bark bit into my knees. I was just high enough in the branches to observe, but remain unseen. The wind kept blowing, birds were chirping, and something was _squeaking_ beside me.

When I looked down, I found it on a branch a bit below me. A black shape as dark as night, with crimson-red eyes — reminiscent of the sharingan — and faded-yellow teeth. A rat was staring at me. A rat. All the way up here. Its eyes never moved from me even as bugs, worms, and other critters it could eat slinked away from it. It didn’t blink, or move. It just stood there, staring at me, a little patch of darkness pretending to be my shadow.

I tore my gaze away from it, even as tremors dripped down my spine. A single rat, even one such as this, wasn’t worth breaking my cover.

My eyes focused on the two people left in the clearing. We were facing a jōnin. Charging in like a samurai would be moronic. Then again, that was what the dead-last was about to do. A perfect chance to see what Hatake-sensei was capable of.

Our teacher looked down on Uzumaki with a raised eyebrow. “You know, you’re supposed to be hiding.”

“I know the secret behind this little test of yours, sensei.”

“Oh?”

“It won’t work. Not on us.”

I frowned. What was he talking about? What secret? The test was straightforward, his stupid question confirmed that.

The jōnin chuckled. “Really? Then you’re just giving up?”

“I never said that.”

“Well, if you know the secret of the test, and you’re not going to use it, how do you expect to pass?”

The idiot shrugged. “I have my mission. No more, no less.”

Just as Hatake-sensei was about to answer, the dead-last rushed him. No tricks, no diversions, no deception. Just a straight on charge, like a kunai thrown by a ninja that wasn’t a complete failure at life. He was painfully slow, even by academy standards, and his attacks were so telegraphed he might as well have been announcing them.

Our instructor even pulled out some orange book and kept reading it as the idiot attacked. Yet, he _was_ unrelenting. Even with all the punches and kicks he got in turn, the dead-last just kept coming. He continued getting up and rushing forward like a bull.

He tried to catch his opponent with a palm thrust, but the jōnin kicked him in the ribs and sent him flying back.

I smirked. The moron was about to land in the perfect position to rush back in. As much as I hated to admit it, watching him turn into a bloodied steak was hilarious.

Except…

My brow wrinkled, and I bit my lip. _What’s he doing?_

The dead-last managed to somehow flip in the air… His head was going to hit the ground at this rate.

_I don’t understand… A toddler could land from that._

He should’ve flipped back by now… he should’ve recovered his bearing…

Wait, no, crap, he wasn’t doing it…

My eyebrows drew together, and my heartbeat quickened as my leg muscles tensed. Hatake-sensei hadn’t seen it… He was expecting the idiot to land properly, as he should have.

I jumped forward, rustling through the leaves and wheezing as I cut the wind. But then…

**_Crack!_ **

* * *

I fell on the grass next to Naruto, my eyes wide opened and unblinking. His neck was broken…

His neck was… broken.

He was dead.

I stared at his prone form, frozen like a civilian when faced with killing intent, until Kakashi-sensei pushed me away and tried to take Naruto’s pulse.

_It won’t be there…_

A moment later, his hand dropped, and his gaze fell on the ground. Not that I blamed him. As much death as he must’ve seen, losing a student… Just a kid… We _were_ just kids. I was…

_‘Foolish little brother…’_

My muscles tightened, and my clenched fists trembled.

_‘If you want to kill me, despise me, hate me, and live a loathsome life…’_

I took a deep breath and pressed my lips together.

_‘Run away, run away, and cling to life…”_

That was what _he_ had said to me. He was right. Life was precious. So was strength. So was power. I had to get stronger…

_‘And then some day, when you have the same eyes as I do, come before me.’_

Chakra burned through my coils like the mighty Uchiha fireball on a field of oil. Begging me to unleash it on the world.

 _I’m sorry, Naruto._ I shook my head and grabbed a kunai. _I need to get stronger._

I stood up slowly, with no sudden movements. I only had one chance to do this, and it had to go perfectly.

 _I **must** get stronger. To kill **him**_.

I took another breath and closed my eyes for a single moment.

_I’m sorry._

With a whistle and whine, the kunai cut through the air as I threw it at my sensei’s head as hard as I could. He was distressed and _would_ sense it too late. His reaction time would be slowed just enough for me to predict which way he’ll dodge, and then I’ll…

_There!_

He jumped away from Naruto, and I lunged at the bells on his hip while he was still airborne. My breath hitched in my airway, and my lungs were burning. As my head throbbed, and blood pulsed in my skull and ears, my eyes bored into those two little orbs. My tickets to power.

My fingers brushed against them, a soft touch upon the grooved and rough metal, as cold and hard as any sword. Almost there.

My fingers were about to touch each other and form a grip around the precious steel…

Almost… There…

**_Whoosh!_ **

In a burst of chakra and white smoke, both my sensei and the bells were gone. A log remained in their stead.

I took the basic Uchiha interceptor stance, and waited for him to attack. Going on the offensive right now would be moronic. It would be something expected of the dead… of Naruto. Hatake had more experience than me, he knew the terrain better, and was stronger than me in all three branches of the ninja-arts.

My breathing was steady, but my eyes narrowed as I surveyed the training ground around me. Where was he?

**_Thump!_ **

I looked down. A bundle of pink and red lay in front of me in the form of an unconscious Haruno.

_So that’s where he was…_

Our sensei appeared some distance away, in front of me, and he was glaring at me. “Disgraceful.”

“We continue the mission regardless of loss. It’s one of the core tenets of the Leaf.”

“There are things more important than a mission.”

I frowned. “Naruto’s gone. Mourning over him now won’t help me become a genin. It won’t…”

He growled. “He wouldn’t _be_ gone if you three were acting as a team! _That_ is _the_ core tenet of the Leaf.”

“Oh, please!” I pushed my shoulders back and flared my nostrils. “You put together two antisocial loners who loathe each other and a fangirl that we both can’t… _couldn’t_ stand.”

He took a deep breath and raised his headband from his left eye to reveal a…

A…

A sharingan…

My eyes widened, and my mouth gaped. _How does he have a **sharingan**?_

He pulled out a kunai and pointed it at me. “Those who abandon the rules are thrash, but those who abandon their comrades are even worse than thrash.” His head shook, and he looked down for a moment. “Your cousin, my teammate, gave me this eye before he died. Right after he had said those words to me. Yet you…” His gaze met mine, and his jaw clenched. “You would use your own teammate’s death as a distraction?”

I was about to reply, but he rushed at me faster then I ever though possible. He was a blur of colors and a cacophony of whining and wheezing air and growling.

His fist crashed into my stomach like a boulder, and sharp pain spread out of the point of impact. I grunted and jumped back, throwing a handful of kunai and shuriken at him.

My muscles were on fire, and my lungs were burning as I did my best to avoid his punches and kicks. He wasn’t even bothering to use a style. Punch-kick-punch. Straightforward combinations unfit even for civilian combat. Yet…

**_Gasp!_ **

Air abandoned my lungs as the landslide that was his leg struck into my diaphragm. I flew back, struggling to breathe and calm my screaming abdomen, and my back crashed into rough tree bark. Blood dripped between my shoulder blades, and bits and pieces of my torn shirt fluttered in the breeze.

_I never imagined the difference in power would be this high… and he’s not even trying._

My head lowered, and my gaze fell on the ground.

_Brother… how will I ever catch up to you?_

“It hurts, doesn’t it? Being thrown around like a ragdoll.” He was walking towards me slowly, and his eyes were relaxed. “If you weren’t fighting alone, maybe you’d have had a chance.”

I spit on the ground and took my stance again. Friends, teammates, comrades… No one could help me. I had to gain power _alone_.

_Then again… Isn’t that what **he** told me?_

I molded the hand sings necessary as fast as I could.

_Phoenix Flower Technique!_

A barrage of tiny fireballs rushed at him, though I neglected to throw shuriken with them. There was no time to…

**_Crash!_ **

Knuckles as hard as steel slammed into my temple, and I collapsed to the ground.

**_Bleagh!_ **

Vomit and blood spattered on the dry earth, and my lungs and muscles were dipped in melting lead. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t think. I could hardly breathe…

He picked me up by the hair…

**_Crack!_ **

… and headbutted me as hard as a falling building. I fell on my back.

His head filled my vision, blocking out the sun and sky, and his eyes were still relaxed, damn him. “Do you see now? Why the Leaf prizes teamwork so much? Do you understand the difference between us?” He chuckled darkly. “Do you realize _why_ you’ll never kill Itachi alone?”

My insides were melted goo, and my extremities were non-existent. I coughed. “It has to be _me_. No one else.” **_Cough_**. “I must avenge the honor of the Uchiha…”

**_Slap!_ **

His slap was nowhere near as hard as his punch, but it somehow hurt much more. “Fool. What honor will you bring the Uchiha from the grave?”

I spit on him and glared. “Fuck you! All this preaching about teamwork, and what team did I get? The dead-last idiot that managed to kill himself by accident, and a fangirl with no skills to be a ninja! The only way they could’ve been useful to me was…”

**_Slap! Slap!_ **

His hand left my cheeks red and my eyes full of unshed tears of lost pride. He growled softly in the back of his throat. “ _Fool_. They’re not supposed to be useful to you. You help _each other_.” He stood up, never breaking eye contact, and gestured at Sakura. “That ‘fangirl’ has such potential in chakra control that she could one day rival Tsunade of the Legendary Three.”

I snorted. _Yeah right, that would require training and effort on her part._

His eyes narrowed, and brow furrowed, as he pointed at Naruto. “The ‘dead last’ you _loathe_ so intensely was such a chakra powerhouse he could’ve been the second coming of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama.” He sighed. “With them, you could have become a legend.”

I took a deep breath. “Well, there isn’t much use talking about it now, is there? Just fail us and be done with it.”

“Yes, I think that would be for the best.” He lowered his forehead protector and shook his head. “Team Seven has officially…”

**_Whoosh…_ **

The wind quickened, and whispers and squeaks chorused from the trees surrounding us. Foul chakra rose in the air, tainted and filthy, as if water taken from a sewer.

A disembodied voice, more a whisper and wail of a ghost than the speech of a human, reverberated around us. “Rip them to shreds… _Great Panther King_!”

* * *

**Hatake Kakashi**

I turned away from my failure of an ex-student and looked around, sharingan already out. The chakra had already disappeared, but while it was there…

I shuddered. Only a handful of times had I encountered chakra so foul and potent, and it had always signaled the fight of my life.

My muscles tensed, and my eyes narrowed. The cold steel of the kunai hilt pressed into my palms, and I took a defensive stance. Whatever it was, however it had managed to worm its way through Leaf’s security, it would be coming for me. Any second now…

**_Growl…_ **

It emerged from the trees. Taller than any man, with muscles that would put a blacksmith to shame. A broad back and bulging shoulders. Glinting white teeth. Whiskers like strands of spider web. Long claws as dense as kunai. A thick, black coat of fur, in which every hair trembled with each breath.

A great, humanoid panther stood before me, wearing white bandages soiled with blood on its forearms and dark grey pants torn at the calves. Its cheekbones were prominent and sharp, its cheeks sunken, and it had a strong and wide jaw.

It tilted its broad, square shaped head, and its eyes narrowed. “Copy-Ninja Hatake Kakashi.” Its voice was raspy, and it kept growling. “You do not disappoint. Although…” Its wide nostrils expanded further as it sniffed and looked at Sasuke. “He _is_ just a child.”

Shudders slid down my back, and the hairs on my nape stood up. Its whole body was alight with chakra in the sight of my sharingan. Not just the coils, but the muscles, and its very skin. It shone like a beacon in a starless night. It was foul and dark, swirling like oil on a mirror.

_What the hell **is** this thing?_

My grip on the kunai tightened. “I’m sure you’re not just here to chat.”

It chuckled. “Not indeed. I’m here for the offspring of Namikaze Minato.” Its breaths were relaxed, and it was blinking slowly. “Hand him over, and I’ll be on my way.”

Ice pierced the inside of my abdomen, and my chest tightened. The Fourth Hokage’s son was gone, and it was _my_ fault.

_I’m so sorry, sensei. You’ll have every right to curse me in the next life._

I took a deep breath, and pointed at Naruto. “As you can see, you’re a bit late.”

It frowned, and its nostrils flared. “ _That_ boy?”

With Naruto gone, there was no reason to hide it anymore. There were no ‘security issues’ to deal with. No possible assassinations to fear. He _should_ have the honor of his father’s name, at least in death. Also, whatever this _thing_ was, hopefully it would leave now.

I sighed. “Yes.”

“I see…” It growled. “I was foolish. I should’ve taken him sooner.”

Teeth of cold nibbled at my neck. “Who are you?”

It shook its head. “I’ve suspected for some time now, but to have it confirmed…”

I poised my kunai for attack. “ _Who_ are you?”

Its gaze went to the sky, and its voice quieted. “It’s kind of ironic when you think about it. The villagers poured their hatred onto the son of their greatest hero, never realizing that the boy is the one who had inherited that title. _He_ is their greatest hero, and has been protecting them for years. Hasn’t he, Kakashi? Since…”

My eyes widened. Crap, did it know about…

It looked at me and smirked. “Without him the Nine-Tails would reform to slaughter you all, wouldn’t it?”

I took a deep breath. This decided it. The populace was largely aware of Naruto’s status, but it had remained unknown outside the village. It was a high-level secret of national importance.

This thing had to die.

It chuckled. “I can see it in your eyes. You’re planning on killing me, aren’t you?”

Chakra rushed to my legs and arms. The time for talking was over.

It apparently agreed, judging by its tensing muscles, and the activation and molding of its foul chakra.

We both rushed each other, and my kunai met its claws in the air.

The battle had begun.


End file.
